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If you are member of the media and would like to speak to us for an upcoming article or news item, please contact Leanne Hendriks in Communications by email [email protected] or by phone at 306.652.1011 ext. 2244
For Immediate Release - November 18, 2020
Stronger COVID Guidelines Welcome
Regina – Yesterday the Government of Saskatchewan announced new public health measures to combat rapidly-rising COVID numbers. Most notably, masks must now be worn in all communities, private gatherings are now limited to 5 people instead of 10, and visits to care home residents will be allowed only for compassionate reasons. Restaurants, bars, gyms, and places of worship will remain open, but these groups will be consulted to develop safer practices. Premier Scott Moe described these measures as “not a lockdown” but rather a “one-month slowdown” in hopes of flattening the COVID curve enough to permit Christmas gatherings.
SEIU-West welcomes these measures, but is concerned they don’t do enough to acknowledge and relieve the additional burdens health sector workers have faced, and will increasingly face during this second wave of the pandemic.
“We welcome the province-wide mask order,” says Barb Cape, President of SEIU-West. “We hope this is a signal that the Government is listening to the voices of health care providers. The virus doesn’t check what a town’s population is before dropping by. Restrictions on family gatherings are important, but not having similar restrictions on restaurants, bars, athletic/recreation activities, and church services allows for another vector for infection and spread of this dangerous virus.”
“It’s incredibly unfortunate that we’ve had to move to restricting visitors to long-term care and personal care homes,” Cape continues. “If anyone understands the impact this has on residents and their families, it is health care staff. The challenge now is for health care staff to keep residents active, engaged and happy. Given the chronic understaffing that prevails in long term care, this becomes a challenge exclusively for health care staff.”
Cape calls for the Saskatchewan government to offer a temporary wage subsidy to all health care workers. “Premier Moe confirmed in the media conference yesterday that our government is sitting on tens of millions in unused federal COVID funding. Now is the right time to draw on that for the benefit of those who are on the front line fighting COVID in the hospitals, LTC/personal care homes, home care, and community based organizations. Our members are exhausted - workloads have ballooned, emotional and physical burdens have taken a toll, and the stress caused by this pandemic continues to be overwhelming. It is time for a show of real appreciation for the front line faced with COVID and its impact on the health care system. At the same time, relief is necessary - we would encourage a slowdown in SHA services in order to provide a moment for the health care system to regain a sense of equilibrium in labs, hospital services, ICU’s/COVID units, and in long term care.”
Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West) represents over 13,000 people across Saskatchewan. They include people who work in health care, education, municipalities, community-based organizations, retirement homes and other sectors. They are joined by one colour – purple – and one union – SEIU-West. Visit PurpleWorks.ca to find out more about SEIU-West members.
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For more information, contact:
Shawna Colpitts
Director, Political Action & Education, SEIU-West
Phone: 306 652-1011 ext 2224
For Immediate Release - November 13, 2020
Let’s Take the Politics out of COVID
Regina – Today the Government of Saskatchewan announced they were introducing new public health measures to address Saskatchewan’s rising number of COVID cases. The measures are a patchwork of weak rules driven more by the political needs of the Sask Party than by science or the experiences of front line health providers.
For Immediate Release - November 12, 2020
Strasbourg & Watrous – Still in search of a fair collective agreement after over 1300 days, SEIU-West health care providers are showing their communities their frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO). This is due to the Saskatchewan Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
For Immediate Release - October 29, 2020
Humboldt & Wakaw – SEIU-West health care providers are reminding the public that they are still without a collective agreement. It’s been over 1300 days and they are frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO). This is due to the Saskatchewan Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
For Immediate Release - October 22, 2020
Assiniboia – SEIU-West health care providers are reminding the public that they are still without a collective agreement for over 3½ years and are frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) due to the Saskatchewan Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
October 15, 2020--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Release: Wynyard & Lanigan are #DoneWaiting for Fairness
Wynyard & Lanigan – SEIU-West members who work as health care providers are demonstrating today in these communities to remind the public that they remain without a collective agreement. Frustrations have heightened as negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) have stalled out largely due to the Sask Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
Media Release: Cabri and Gull Lake are #DoneWaiting for Fairness
Cabri & Gull Lake – Health care providers who are members of SEIU-West are reminding the public that they are still without a collective agreement. Frustrations are heightened due to a lack of meaningful progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) largely due to the Sask Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
For Immediate Release - October 6, 2020
Saskatoon – Due to the lack of any meaningful good faith offer from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO), the SEIU-West bargaining team has served notice of impasse to the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. SEIU-West members working for the SHA have been without a contract since March 31, 2017.
For Immediate Release - October 2, 2020
Saskatoon – Provincial election campaign season is underway and SEIU-West members are engaging with candidates of all parties on issues that are important to their communities through their Purple Votes campaign (www.purplevotes.ca).
For Immediate Release - September 30, 2020
Saskatoon – SEIU-West members who work as part of Saskatchewan’s lab services team are knowledgeable, organized, smart, caring individuals who are working hard every day to do the best for their patients. However, shortages of both staff and equipment remain obstacles to meeting the baseless promises on COVID19 testing capacity made by Premier Scott Moe last month.
For Immediate Release - September 23, 2020
Rosetown & Kindersley – Health care providers who are members of SEIU-West are reminding the public that they are still without a collective agreement and are frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) due to the Sask Party government’s refusal to fund a fair deal.
Health Care Providers are #DoneWaiting for Fairness
Saskatoon –Tired of being ignored, and after months of asking Cabinet Ministers to move off their mandate, a group of SEIU-West members who work in health care visited the Saskatoon Cabinet office today to demand that someone from the Sask Party government hear their request for a fair deal.